The American History Shelf

American Traitor
Howard W. Cox
Georgetown University Press
3240 Prospect Street, NW, Washington, DC 20007
www.press.georgetown.edu
9781647123420, $34.95, HC, 392pp

https://www.amazon.com/American-Traitor-Wilkinsons-Betrayal-Republic/dp/164= 7123429

Synopsis: With the publication of "American Traitor: General James Wilkinso= n's Betrayal of the Republic and Escape from Justice", Howard W. Cox examin=
es the career of the notorious General James Wilkinson, whose corruption an=
d espionage exposed the fledgling United States to grave dangers during the=
early years of the republic. Wilkinson is largely forgotten today, which i=
s unfortunate because his sordid story is a cautionary tale about unscrupul= ous actors who would take advantage of gaps in the law, oversight, and acco= untability for self-dealing.

Wilkinson's military career began during the Revolutionary War and continue=
d through the War of 1812. As he rose to the rank of commanding general of = the US Army, Wilkinson betrayed virtually everyone he worked with to advanc=
e his career and finances. He was a spy for Spain, plotted to have western = territories split from the United States, and accepted kickbacks from contr= actors. His negligence and greed also caused the largest peacetime disaster=
in the history of the US Army. Howard W. Cox picks apart Wilkinson's misde= eds with the eye of an experienced investigator.

"American Traitor" offers the most in-depth analysis of Wilkinson's court-m= artial trials and how he evaded efforts to hold him accountable. This astou= nding history of villainy in the early republic will fascinate anyone with =
an interest in the period as well as readers of espionage history.

Critique: Second only to Benedict Arnold, the story of the equally infamous=
but lapsed into obscurity, General James Wilkinson, is a particularly time=
ly and relevant study given the contemporary and treasonous behavior of Pre= sident Donald J. Trump as our Commander-in-Chief and his promotion and enab= lement of General Michael Flynn in their attempt to overthrow a freely elec= ted government headed by President Joe Biden -- which is currently being pl= ayed out in a DOJ investigation and the Federal court system.

A fascinating, detailed, and well documented biography, "American Traitor: = General James Wilkinson's Betrayal of the Republic and Escape from Justice"=
by Howard W. Cox is a solid and unreservedly recommended addition to perso= nal, community, and academic library collections. It should be noted for st= udents, academia, historians, political activists, and non-specialist gener=
al readers with an interest in the subject that "American Traitor: General = James Wilkinson's Betrayal of the Republic and Escape from Justice" is also=
available in a digital book format (Kindle, $26.49).

Editorial Note: Howard W. Cox (https://fedsoc.org/contributors/howard-cox/c= ommentary) is a former trial attorney in the US Army Judge Advocate General=
's Corps, former staff counsel of the Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Inve= stigations, and former federal prosecutor and assistant inspector general f=
or investigations at the CIA.

Arcadia Publishing
https://www.arcadiapublishing.com

https://www.amazon.com/Famous-People-Queens-Images-America/dp/1467109495

https://www.amazon.com/Oklahoma-Music-Trail-Images-America/dp/1467109274

Synopsis: Arcadia Publishing is a unique and premier publisher of American = History with each title showcasing a particular community or city in terms =
of its people and local history. Two newly published titles in their 'Image=
s of America' series include:

"Famous People of Queens" (9781467109499, $23.99, PB, 128pp) by Rob MacKay = presents a diverse group of characters and historical eras: actors, athlete=
s, business people, politicians, religious leaders, scientists, singers, wa=
r heroes, writers, and famous people who weren't born in Queens but lived i=
n the borough for a long time. Author Rob MacKay is a longtime, award-winni=
ng community journalist who has worked for the Queens Economic Development = Corporation and operates various social media channels that promote the bor= ough's restaurants, shops, and tourism attractions. His interest in writing=
this book grew organically (and intensely) after he became a trustee of th=
e Queens Historical Society.

"The Oklahoma Music Trail" (9781467109277, $23.99, PB, 96pp) by Karl Anders=
on is a pictorial essay that features the music genres, performers, and son= gwriters of Oklahoma. There are literally hundreds of artists who have made=
their home in Oklahoma. The cowboy ballads of Gene Autry, Western swing th=
at originated with the fiddle of Bob Wills, the Tulsa Sound of Leon Russell=
and gospel songs of Albert E. Brumley have paved the way for generations o=
f Oklahoma musicians and performers. This is a unique history of country mu= sic legends who have traveled along the Oklahoma Music Trail.

Critique: Profusely illustrated with historical black/white photos, these t=
wo exceptionally informative and impressively presented histories and espec= ially and unreservedly recommended for personal, professional, community, c= ollege, and university library American History collections.

Editorial Note: In their 'Our Images of America Series', Arcadia Publishing=
is dedicated to publishing creating an experience for their readers of bec= oming immersed in the wonder and unique flavor of life in their town (or an=
y town) in America. Penned by local experts, each Images of America book we= aves the history of a community in stories and rare photos, from its beginn= ings to today. Simply stated, every place tells a story. A complete listing=
of their titles is available at https://www.arcadiapublishing.com

EDITOR'S NOTE:

The Midwest Book Review is an organization of volunteers committed to promo= ting literacy, library usage, and small press publishing. We accept no fund=
s from authors or publishers. Full permission is given to post any of these=
reviews on thematically appropriate websites, newsgroups, listserves, inte= rnet discussion groups, organizational newsletters, or to interested indivi= duals. Please give the Midwest Book Review a credit line when doing so.

The Midwest Book Review publishes the monthly book review magazines "Califo= rnia Bookwatch", "Internet Bookwatch", "Children's Bookwatch", "MBR Bookwat= ch", "Reviewer's Bookwatch", and "Small Press Bookwatch". All are available=
for free on the Midwest Book Review website at www (dot) midwestbookreview=
(dot) com

Anyone wanting to submit books for review consideration can send them to:

James A. Cox, Editor-in-Chief
Midwest Book Review
278 Orchard Drive
Oregon, WI 53575-1129

To submit reviews of any fiction or non-fiction books, email them to Frugal= muse (at) aol (dot) com (Be sure to include the book title, author, publish= er, publisher address, publisher website/phone number, 13-digit ISBN number=
, and list price).

James A. Cox, Editor-in-Chief
Midwest Book Review

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